Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

And that's why I love the forum - Thanks everyone.

Will move on to putting up the patio over the next few weeks and then - Bingo - AP time.

Keep in mind about the patio plans, if you use high grow bed frames to get the plants up closer to the winter sun, you won't have as much headroom over the beds before the roof unless you make it really high. Could cause you some issues if you grow tall plants of tomatoes.

If you put the beds lower, then you don't have the headroom problem but in winter you might have more trouble growing sun loving short plants. Lettuce will probably love the diffused light and cooler temps in wither though.

Good luck and welcome

Still planning things.....

What are the thoughts on the covering for the area....

Clear laser light or opaque, thinking that clear will totally crisp the plants in summer, worried that opaque will not be sufficient in winter...

Use clear, and put shade cloth over it if required in summer.

Thanks OBO, was thinking that, but wanted a second (or third) opinion.

I can get my hands on a TPS WP 81 pH meter and a TPS WP82 Y D.O. meter

They haven't been used for a few years and require servicing, anybody get any idea on the costs that could be involved in this or, if it is actually worthwhile having these meters for AP??

Hi Lucky... and you are Lucky.... not bad meters.... handbooks located here...

http://www.tps.com.au/handbooks/index.html

Especially the DO meter.... the "Y" series has or could have an RS232 serial interface... and can be setup to automatically log at set intervals...

http://www.tps.com.au/products/dissolve ... wp-82y.htm


Here's the other one FYI ... http://www.tps.com.au/products/combination/wp-81.htm

How much for the meters???...

At this stage, a smile, but that has to be cleared with the boss, may cost a bit more.

Trying to work out if it is cost effective once repairs are taken into account.

Perhaps you could hire out the DO meter to the WA BYAPers

Moving forward.... ever so slowlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Have the sold the motor bike and am buying one of Joel's flash looking units, 1000l tank + 2 x GB.
Should have the system up and running by the end of the month......

I want to put barra in, but think it will be too cold for them now (and that's if I can get them!) wondering what I should put in the tank until I source the fish I want.

Any ideas?

I highly recommend fishless cycling before you get any fish unless you are getting all seasoned media from Joel.
The easiest way to fishless cycle is using hummonia (yep pee) but don't use much at all! Perhaps 1/2 a pee every other day to start in a system smaller than 200L fish tank with an appropriate ammount of grow bed to go with it.

Of course if you don't like the idea of hummonia, you can hunt for some pure ammonia (stuff without any additives or detergents that would make it sudz.)
Another option is urea but be ware that it takes some time to show as ammonia on a test kit since it needs to hang around and wait for the proper enzymes to show up and convert it (this happens more quickly with the pee since our urine comes with the necessary enzymes to convert the urea to Ammonia.

Then when you do add fish, many people get some cheap goldfish for the system or you might think of trout for the cool season and barra for the hot season. Good luck!

If you get trout you might not have a log enough grow out before the summer hits. Might be better off getting a few goldies/feeder fish just to start thngs ticking over until spring.

What other area?
Is this the back of your place. What about keeping the fish there and pumping the water up and out to the front to GB's then if they are high enough let the water run back downhill to the tanks. I don't think you have to keep them side by side. As I design my larger system I'm toying with the idea of running GB's in the back yard a long way from my tank, just lift the water up and let gravity do the rest. Could even have the sump at the front with the GB's.

Good to see things happening Lucky and great to see EB getting some support as well, Nic has around 3000 barra available, see this link viewtopic.php?f=36&t=3712